Everything British. British design, art and start-ups. Life in London and the English countryside. @alicefrances

January 30, 2016March 9, 2016

Chelsea Days

Sorry for being rather absent this week – I have been working – hurrah! (again 😊).

I have been helping at the hush sample sale 👗👚👙- the last day is tomorrow, so I would get down to Chelsea Old Town Hall quick fast and get yourself some wonderful pyjamas 👘, cashmere jumpers 👕, slouchy tees 👚 and a whole bunch of other bits and pieces you will wear forever 👛👠👖 ☺️.

The sample sale was fun – but 10am on the first morning was a little terrifying. The parka wearing, ombre haired, hush loving ladies are a nice bunch (they were so pleased with their sample finds) but they are determined. Very determined. Not a snood lay unturned in the hunt for the last pair of cashmere wristwarmers. My first customer to the till was a frightened man who had been sent by his wife to buy pyjamas – he really did look scared, and fled the moment he had paid, clutching his purchases, with mutterings of ‘never returning ever again’… And I do get a little displeased with the ladies who try and bargain down even further – that jumper was £85 you are paying £15. Please just appreciate how good a deal you are getting and don’t try to haggle with me. However, in general the sample sale customers seemed very pleased with their finds. I got the Ascot dress 👗 in navy which I am very pleased with 😍.

I had lunch with Grace, which was very nice indeed. We went to The Grocer on the King’s Road 🍏🍞 and got much needed coffees ☕️ and good things to eat. We first considered L’Eto which look delightful – but £9.90 for a takeaway salad seems a little bit much even for Chelsea….

Grace is a singer 🎶, and sings wonderfully (listen to her song Vapour Trails ☺️) and told me all about the video 🎥 she is about to shoot for her newest single 🎵, which is coming out early this year. I am very excited. On a side note, she is also going to come roller blading on Wandsworth Common which is magical 🎆 – Grace we will, one day, go to a roller disco wearing shiny leotards…

I also found the most beautiful navy parka 🎽 ever, in Claudie Pierlot. It’s lovely, and I want it and it is reduced from £600 to £180. I have however been incredibly restrained, the consumer in me – ‘but you really need a nice warm, smart coat, and it’s such a good price’ has been quietened. This was a massive hurdle and I did not fall. At least not yet. I have not bought the parka 🎽 – although almost everything (except my bank balance) is saying ‘buy it, buy it’. I will not. But I am excited for all of you who do – they have it in burgundy too 😘

A great thing happened yesterday – it was Tom’s birthday 🎂. And not only was it his birthday, but Chesca made him the best bath cake 🎂🛁 ever. Yes. A cake 🎂 in the shape of the bath 🛁. It even had rubber ducks 🐥🐥, and a bath mat, and the tiling for the bathroom floor was made of white chocolate ◻️🍫. I think Tom was happier with the bath cake 🎂🛁 than he was about the chocolate biscuit cake with cherries, and he really loves chocolate biscuit cake with cherries. Happy Birthday Tom!!! 😊🎈 I also gave him a lovely David Shrigley card…. David Shrigley should make all cards for all occasions 😉.

I am actually writing this whilst sitting on an aeroplane, as I am in Switzerland for the weekend – so super!! I don’t like planes, but I do like clouds very much and we have passed some wonderful clouds.